From the Heart
by Seiki
Summary: Hermione falls on Draco! This event will lead to the 'Trip' that will send them both to detention! How will the handle it?
1. Default Chapter

Title: From the Heart  
  
Author: Seiki  
  
A/N : It's 3:50 p.m. here, it's hot and definitely summer, no doubt about that, and I don't really know why I'm writing this story while, or rather, when I can just sleep. Oh well! It must have something to do with my OVER persuasive and impatient friend, and also, my curiosity. Anyway, it's my first time writing a story about Draco and Hermione, so bear with me if I may sound boring or if the story isn't convincing or if it's so ooc. Just enjoy my not-so-good literary skills and use your imaginations to help you out. ^-^ (no offence!)  
  
p.s. please R/R! I need at least 5-10 before I post the next chapter (just to know if you like it or not!)! ^-^  
  
* Hermione's Thoughts  
  
* Draco's Thoughts  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Hermione Granger sat on the back porch of their backyard reading a book. Why is that that most ladies in books lead more exciting lives than I do? she wondered. True enough, Hermione's life was exciting, considering the fact that her friend was Harry Potter, who was, and still is, being chased by Voldemort for the past six years of their school life. Considering also the fact that they'd had lots of adventures together and escaping death almost every time. And, one fact she should never skip is that she is a witch and was studying at Hogwarts. I envy Lavender and Parvati; they get to spend their summer holiday together in California. With a sigh, she stood up and stretched her arms. Then she saw something that caught her interest. Was that a broomstick? she wondered. She wasn't a gossip, but she couldn't help but peer over the fence and see. There, she saw the most surprising sight. She saw two girls, about her age, riding on a broomstick. Actually, both of them weren't on the broomstick, only one of them was, the girl with auburn colored hair. The other one was sitting on the grass, laughing and shaking her head, which was covered by her raven colored hair. The raven haired one saw her and smiled. "Come here!" she said. Hermione, driven by her curiosity, climbed over the fence and cautiously walked toward them. "I noticed that you were looking at us." she said. "I'm Victoria Noelle Moon. That one, on the broom's my classmate, Cassandra Kay Nott." "Feel free to call me Cassie." the one on the broomstick – or rather – Cassandra said. "You're Hermione Granger, aren't you? Top student every year, Harry Potter's friend, and is in Gryffindor House?" "How did you know?" Hermione asked incredously. "Don't you remember me? I was also a prefect last year!" Cassie said. "Oh! That Cassandra! The one who put bubblegum on Malfoy's seat!" she said. "I remember you! You're in Ravenclaw aren't you? But your hair's gotten shorter!" "I got it cut. Victoria here's in Hufflepuff." Victoria nodded. "Don't tell me that you live together! Wait — you must be visiting!" Hermione said. "Sort of --" Victoria replied. "I live on the house on your right. Cassie lives here." All this time I've neighbors who were witches?! she (Hermione) thought. "How come I've never seen you guys then?" she asked. "It's either you were in some other place at that time, or you weren't paying much attention, or you didn't know us then." Cassie simply replied. "Anyhow, wouldn't you mind joining us? It gets so boring sometimes." Victoria said. Mind?! Of course I wouldn't! I'm also practically dying of boredom! She thought inside. "Sure. I wouldn't mind." She replied with a smile.  
  
* * *  
  
Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, reading the latest letter his older sister sent him. It read:  
  
Dearest Draco,  
  
How are you? Hope you aren't dying of boredom in there.  
  
Dying of boredom? In fact, he was practically battling it by running around the manor's garden everyday. He thought sarcastically.  
  
Life in the Resistance is hard nowadays. We have to practically burrow deep underground to escape Voldemort.  
  
Draco flinched at hearing the dark Lord's name. True, he wasn't afraid of the Dark Lord, but he was taught never to say, not to mention to write, his name openly and without respect.  
  
Just yesterday, I saw a group of death eaters pursuing a group of female muggles and using magic against them. Many of them died. It was a gruesome sight.  
  
He stared at the wall for a moment, not knowing what to feel. To tell the truth, he had never seen the death eaters kill people. Sure, he had seen them torture muggles, but only by using the crutacious curse. His father had never allowed anyone to let him see how the death eaters killed. And, he was so used to hearing the people scream that sometimes, actually, most of the time he didn't mind it. Lately though, he became a little bit . . . queasy at hearing it.  
  
I hope you do think very hard about becoming a death eater. I'm not telling you not to become one, but I'm also not telling you to become one.  
  
I have learned from experience that forcing other people to do your will might lead to unpleasant circumstances.  
  
He wondered if that was also the factor that made her sister turn her back on their father and join the resistance.  
  
So, I'm just advising you to think very hard about it. I'll send you an owl soon.  
  
Godspeed, little brother.  
  
  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Natty  
  
He folded up her letter and kept it in the box where he kept all of her letters. Then, someone knocked on his door. "Who is that?" he asked. "Master Malfoy, your father requests your presence downstairs." A voice – no mistakably Dinky's – answered. "Yes, tell him that I'll be coming down." he replied. Oh boy, he thought, what is this about now?  
  
***  
  
For Hermione, the next few weeks passed by like golden beads of the year. She had lots of fun with Cassandra and Victoria, forming an unbreakable friendship within a short while. She learned a lot about them, like how Cassandra liked eating bitter gorge, hated people who used other people and is an Aquarian. Victoria, however, disliked eating bitter gorge, loved swimming, and is a Piscean. She felt happy having new, close female friends. It gave her a sense of belonging. And, for the first time in her life, she felt safe and sure with her friends.  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry if I left it hanging with that sentence. It seems inappropriate. Anyhow, just like I said, bear with me. I am an inexperienced writer. Warning though, I really wanted to rate this pg 15 but I don't think there is an existing rating. ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by the great writer J.K. Rowling. The only things in here that are mine are Cassandra, Victoria, the plot, the pc I'm using and. . . . I can't think of anything else! ^-^ 


	2. Chapter 2 Choo Choo!

Title: From the Heart  
  
Author: Seiki  
  
Chapter rating: pg 15 (that was what I really wanted to rate it actually.)  
  
A/N : This is the life! Sitting down, in front of the pc, no parents around to make me clean my room, while listening to my cd! Plus the added fact that my brother has been unnaturally good this morning… [he he] anyway, thanks for the people who reviewed. I appreciate them. ^-^ (it's not everyday that I get praised for writing things that my teachers consider "not worth it" you know. ^-^)  
  
My over persuasive friend who refuses to be named – thank you!!!!! If you weren't there to persuade me I would've stopped writing!  
  
AllyCat739 – thanks for the review! I really do like your story too, I just didn't review! I'll try again later. ^-^  
  
Mione G & Violet Blues – Thanks for the review! (I'm flattered!)  
  
Fire Goddess – He He. Thanks to my friends who let me use their names! Thanks for the review!  
  
  
  
And in 3...2...1!  
  
Chapter 2 'Choo. .Choo!'  
  
After 1 month of being carefree and very careless, their vacation ended. It was again the time to pack their trunks, buy their stuff, and ride the Hogwarts express.  
  
"Cassie! Hey—Cassie! I'm here!" Hermione said. "Whew! Finally, you guys heard me! You wouldn't mind sharing a compartment with my friends wouldn't you?"  
  
"As long as they don't come from Slytherin, that would be fine!" Cassie replied.  
  
Victoria had suddenly gone completely still. "Vic, Vicky, are you okay?" Hermione asked worriedly.  
  
"Harry Potter just passed by me!" she said in an almost or rather a breathless whisper.  
  
"Uh—so..?" Hermione said.  
  
"I don't think you understand Hermione, Vic here, had a crush on Harry ever since fourth year!" Cassandra replied.  
  
"Oh…then, can I say that she would be very pleased with the seating arrangements?" Hermione said mischievously.  
  
"Why? — Oh!" Cassie said, slapping her head. "How could I have forgotten? Harry Potter's your friend!"  
  
At that moment, Hermione opened a compartment's door. And voila! Harry and Ron were there! Hermione smiled as she saw her two best friends. [A/N: well, in addition to Cass and Vicky] Harry, admittedly, had grown very good looking. With wavy black hair and green eyes which sparkled when he laughed. And also with a great body too! Ron on the other hand, had also grown good looking, but in a cute way.  
  
"Harry, Ron!" Hermione greeted. (She could hear Victoria whispering "Oh my gosh!" at her back)  
  
"Hermione! How are you?" Harry greeted her with a sincere smile (which showed off faint dimples) and a warm voice.  
  
"Ya Hermione! How are you?" Ron greeted her with a laugh and with an imitation voice of Harry which made them (her, Cass and Vicky) laugh.  
  
Harry gave her a questioning look which she knew all too well. It said 'who are they?' and 'what are they doing here?' He gave her a lot of those looks in the past years.  
  
"Oh! Harry, Ron, this is Cassandra Nott," she looked at Cassandra, "and this is Victoria Moon." This time, she looked at Vicky. "I met them during the summer. They're my neighbors. Cassie's in Ravenclaw and Victoria's in Hufflepuff."  
  
Cassandra smiled at them. {Harry's handsome and cute, but he's not my type. So is Ron.}  
  
"Do you mind if they sit with us?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron.  
  
"No, I don't." he replied. {Wow. That friend of hers, Cassandra, is really a knockout. But then again, she also is.}  
  
It was true that Hermione was really pretty. In fact, she wasn't pretty, she was beautiful. But Harry and Ron treated her like their sibling.  
  
"Sure. That's a-ok with me." Ron also replied.  
  
"So why don't you move over and let us sit then?" she asked.  
  
***  
  
Draco Malfoy didn't even notice the summer pass by. All he knew was that he read his sister's letters all the time. Now he was here at the express again, he would be going to school. To Hogwarts. He walked across the train's corridors, barely noticing the scenery. He was given a task by Prof. McGonagall. He was supposed to get Granger and bring her to the Prof. He wondered what Granger had done wrong. And why he was the one sent. Actually, finding Granger wasn't that hard. He knew where Potter's compartment was. And the whole school knew that where Potter was, there would also be Weasley and Granger. He reached a particular compartment with a little Gryffindor lion was drawn on the door. He had reached his destination. He was at Potter's compartment.  
  
***  
  
Hermione, Cassandra and Victoria were having a good time. Ron and Harry kept them laughing. "You know Cassandra, wait, may I call you Cassie? Thanks, I remember the time when we were sorted, Harry told me a particular something. Remember when your name was called? …..  
  
flashback  
  
"Moon, Victoria!" the tall green-hatted witch said. A girl with shoulder length black hair sat on the stool and put the hat on her head. It remained there for thirty seconds or so, when it shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" the girl walked over to the Hufflepuff table, where she received many handshakes and welcomes. "Nott, Cassandra!" this time, a redhead sat on the stool. "Not Cassandra?" Harry whispered to Ron. "If that's not Cassandra, then where is Cassandra?" Ron just snorted, trying to hide a laugh. Luckily, nobody noticed them.  
  
end of flashback  
  
They all cracked up laughing when they heard it. Harry was laughing and so was Victoria, Ron and Cassandra had tears flowing down their eyes and Hermione was laughing hysterically. They didn't hear the compartment door open. Suddenly, all of them stopped. All except Hermione, who was trying to stop laughing, and who was facing the window. She noticed that they stopped and that Harry and Ron were glaring. She turned to see who it was, not knowing why Harry and Ron were glaring that much. And then she saw why.  
  
***  
  
Draco stood outside their compartment door, the sound of their laughter making him want to know why they were laughing and join in. {Don't} he thought. {I might get into trouble. Surely if I join in, Potter and Weasley will clobber me and I'll get into trouble.}  
  
"Oh well," he said, "Here goes nothing!" and he opened the door.  
  
Almost automatically, he noticed, Potter and Weasley stopped laughing and shot him glares which would've killed him. He saw that there were two people in the room also, a black haired witch who had kind of purple, violet eyes and a pretty auburn haired one with blue green? No, blue eyes. And there was one more, presumably Granger, who was trying to stifle her laughter. When the girl or rather Granger, turned around, he got the surprise of his life.  
  
Sitting in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had golden brown—no, he was pretty much sure they were gold—eyes, a creamy complexion, and shiny, wavy brown hair. {WAIT! What was he thinking about! That was Granger for goodness sake! She was in Gryffindor, and had two over violent best friends! And she's a mudblood.} He thought. {Oh boy…}  
  
***  
  
Hermione Granger, for the first time in her life, was stunned speechless. She couldn't speak, much the less breathe. Malfoy was standing in front of her, but not the Malfoy she had always known. This Malfoy was different. A certain aura came out of him. An aura which she couldn't quite place. And also because of his looks. He was tanned, yes, but he wasn't that tanned. It suited him well. His blond hair was like silver, his eyes were the same. She didn't know if it was silver or blue, it sort of altered, she just couldn't tell!  
  
"What are you here for Malfoy?" he asked.  
  
"Why?" Malfoy replied. "Is it your business?"  
  
"Yes it is, because you're here in our compartment, which makes it our business." Ron shot back angrily.  
  
"Really now? Is it your compartment?" Malfoy replied with a smirk. "Then why don't I see a sign that says "Potty and Weasel's compartment: Keep Out"?"  
  
"Why you bastard! [ A/N: Warned you, PG 15!]" Ron said and lunged at Malfoy, ready to give him a broken nose.  
  
Hermione was sure Malfoy would end up with a broken nose, but what happened next left her speechless again, for a few seconds.  
  
Malfoy's eyes flashed a brilliant blue, and his hair, she swore, turned silver. Ron's fist was near him now, really near him, when it suddenly stopped, and Ron floated for a while, his feet barely above the ground. Then suddenly, a force—she was also pretty sure that it came from his aura—pushed Ron away from him and caused him (Ron) to hit the wall.  
  
No one, not even Harry spoke for a few seconds. She thought that they, all of them were astounded at what happened.  
  
Then Ron moaned and Victoria rushed over to help him.  
  
"Wh-what is it that you came here for?" Hermione asked him, her voice shaky.  
  
Malfoy turned to face me, his eyes still a brilliant blue, and said  
  
"You."  
  
***  
  
Hermione and Malfoy left the compartment, and all of them were able to speak again.  
  
"Bloody hell." Cassandra commented.  
  
Meanwhile, Harry's thoughts were rushing through his head. {Holy s***. What was that that happened? That was no ordinary power, I can tell, yet my scar didn't hurt. If it wasn't Voldemort, then what was it?}  
  
"Ouch!" Ron said.  
  
"Sorry! Just rest for a while, that'll undo the bump." Victoria replied.  
  
"Damn that Malfoy! I'll get my revenge on him somehow! If he does something bad to Mione, he'll die!" Ron said.  
  
"Oh boy!" Cassie commented.  
  
***  
  
Malfoy cursed himself as he and Hermione made their way to Professor McGonagall.  
  
{Why did he have to use that power?} He thought. {I am so stupid! Why did I let go?}  
  
"Malfoy?" Hermione asked timidly. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Prof. McGonagall sent me to fetch you and told me to bring you to her. She said that she had something to tell us." He replied.  
  
Finally, they reached the teacher's compartment. Malfoy knocked on it three times, as the professor told him to do, then stepped back. Suddenly, the door opened and a great wind, like a vacuum, made them go inside.  
  
"Now I know the feeling of being sucked into the Black Hole." Hermione said.  
  
After they had dusted themselves off, they looked at their surroundings. They were in a compartment that was more like a room. There they saw 4 armchairs which were colored according to the houses. There on the Gryffindor colored armchair sat Prof. McGonagall. On the Slytherin colored one sat Prof. Snape. On the Hufflepuff one sat Prof. Sprout, but on the Ravenclaw one, sat no one.  
  
"I see that you have finally reached here, Mr. Malfoy." said Prof. McGonagall.  
  
"Yes yes!" said Prof. Sprout happily. "Do sit down! Do sit down!"  
  
She motioned to a sofa chair bearing the Hogwarts seal.  
  
Hermione sat on one end (being still unsure of Malfoy) while Draco sat on the other.  
  
"Do you know why you are gathered here?" asked Prof. Snape.  
  
"Um, no sir." Hermione answered.  
  
Prof. McGonagall smiled proudly at the both of them. "You two have been chosen as Head Girl and Boy!"  
  
Draco and Hermione looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"Of course we would've informed you earlier, but we had a hard time deciding." said Prof. Sprout.  
  
"We will announce your being Head Girl and Boy in the Sorting Ceremony, when we get to Hogwarts." Prof. Snape said.  
  
"And, your first job as Heads will begin now." said Prof. McGonagall. "You are assigned to notify the students who will be the Prefects now. You may use the school owls we have here." She motioned to the two owls that were perched on the edge of the table. "You may use your name or you may use your title to sign."  
  
"Here are the names." said Prof. Sprout. "And here are the quills and the school stationary."  
  
Hermione excitedly looked at the names. To her surprise, Cassie was prefect again and Victoria was Hufflepuff's Prefect! Blaise Zabini was for Slytherin, and Virginia {Do I know a Virginia?} she thought. {Oh! Ginny!} Ginny was for Gryffindor!  
  
"I'll write for Slytherin and Gryffindor." Malfoy told her.  
  
"Sure, then I'll get Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." She replied.  
  
So the owls were sent and Draco and Hermione was led to a compartment that was much like the Teachers' but only with two armchairs.  
  
"So, I guess we're gonna be stuck together for the rest of the year." Hermione said rather meekly and feebly, out of tension and her still 'uncertainty' of Malfoy.  
  
"Yeah. Don't dare mess up my hair." Draco said, in an effort to lighten up the mood.  
  
"I'll start wrecking it right now!" Hermione said, laughing.  
  
"Doooon't!" Draco pretended to plead as Hermione threw one of the plush pillows on his head.  
  
***  
  
Cassandra was sleeping when she heard something tapping on the window. She saw an owl, carrying two letters outside the window.  
  
She let the owl in, and took the mail. They were both bearing the Hogwarts Seal. One bore Victoria's name, while the other bore hers.  
  
"Hey Vic," she called out. "There's mail."  
  
"Really?" Victoria replied.  
  
Cassie tore open the envelope and read the mail.  
  
Ms. Cassandra Kay Nott,  
  
We, of Hogwarts Faculty and the Head Girl and Boy, are glad  
  
to say that you have been chosen as the Prefect of your house, Ravenclaw. Further announcements will be given at the school.  
  
  
  
Ciao!  
  
  
  
Head Girl  
  
  
  
"This isn't the same letter I got last year!" exclaimed Cassie.  
  
  
  
"Oh Gosh! I'm a prefect! I'm a prefect!" Victoria said happily, jumping up and down.  
  
The door of the compartment opened, beholding a redhead.  
  
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ron! Ron! Harry! Harry!" the redhead exclaimed.  
  
"What Ginny? What's the matter with you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Really Gin, what's wrong?" Harry also asked.  
  
"I'm a prefect! I'm Gryffindor's Prefect!" Ginny exclaimed, jumping on Ron and causing Ron to fall flat on his face.  
  
"Ow! Gerroff Gin!" Ron's muffled voice said.  
  
"Sorry Ron! It's just that I'm sooo happy!" Ginny replied.  
  
"Really?" Harry smiled again, causing his faint dimples to reappear. "Can I see the letter?"  
  
  
  
Harry looked at the letter. {Weird, I recognize the handwriting. But it can't be.}  
  
Ron also had come to look at the letter. "Holy Bloody Mary! That's Malfoy's writing!"  
  
"What!" Ginny exclaimed. "But it's signed Head Boy!"  
  
"Then that must mean that Malfoy's the Head Boy." Vicky said. Harry and Ron had filled her up about Malfoy.  
  
"No Way!" Harry, Ron and Ginny said in unison.  
  
"And I also think that Hermione's with him right now." She added.  
  
"Double no way!" Ginny said.  
  
Victoria just showed them the letter which she received. "Isn't that Hermione's writing?" she asked.  
  
Harry studied the letter carefully and had to agree with Vic. "Yea. This is Mione's writing. No mistake about that."  
  
"Well then, let's go and find them!" Ron said, beginning to get all riled up again.  
  
"There's no use. We're here." Cassandra said.  
  
"Where?" Ron asked.  
  
"Dummy, we're at Hogwarts." Cassandra said.  
  
"All the students, please leave your baggages, they will be taken separately."  
  
"Oh boy." Victoria said.  
  
All of them went out of the train and looked at the carriages that would take them to Hogwarts.  
  
"This is it." Harry said. "The beginning of a new year, our last year."  
  
A/N: Hope all of you readers will appreciate this chapter. I worked at it for 4 hours (actually 5) straight! From 8am to 12nn. Oh my sore back, butt, and imagination! Oh yeah! Thanks also to the radio! Helped me a lot!  
  
p.s. there will be individual ratings per chapter.  
  
p.p.s. { } means their thoughts.  
  
p.p.s.s. [ ] means author's notes  
  
p.p.p.s.s. ain't this irritating? ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: The only things that are mine are Cassie, Vicky, Malfoy's description, the teacher's compartment, the plot, the pc, the cd, the radio, the imagination, the chair, the butt, the back, the fingers—wait! what fingers? 


	3. Chapter 3 The Carriage, the Sorting and ...

Title: From the Heart  
  
Author: Seiki  
  
Rating: PG 15 [still.]  
  
A/N: Anyone know where I can buy Madeline L' Engle's "A swiftly tilting planet"? they don't have it in bookstores.  
  
^-^  
  
She-who-must-not-be-named – Thanks for including me in that story of yours! (Read it! Entitled "The Phantom in Me) And I already undid the for signed reviews only thing. Unsigned are allowed. ^-^  
  
Mione G – Thanks for reviewing again!  
  
Dark weaver – Review too! I can't find your name in the list!  
  
Oh boy! Here we go!  
  
Chapter Three 'The carriage, sorting ceremony and the dorm'  
  
After the train had stopped, Hermione and Draco went to a carriage, which had a label (For the Head Girl and Boy) and sat in silence for the first few minutes.  
  
{What is he playing at?} she wondered. {At the train he had seemed so warm and happy, now all I feel is coldness in him.}  
  
"So Granger, I would like to inform you that I would like to spend my last year in here peacefully." Said Draco, suddenly, somehow, breaking the gloom that threatened to settle on them.  
  
"I don't want to be hexed suddenly, or to get in trouble with Potty and the Weasel."  
  
"Take that back!" Hermione said, her eyes flashing.  
  
"What? Potty and Weasel? Am I supposed to care what I call them?"  
  
"They're my friends, and I care!"  
  
"So? I really don't care you know."  
  
"Yeah. As if a Death Eater like you would. I'd bet you like following in your father's footsteps and killing people." Hermione replied bitterly and scornfully.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione felt as if she was burning. She felt like flames were licking her body, making her want to scream. In a moment, though, the fire was replaced with an ice cold feeling that made her draw her robe closer to her.  
  
"Never, never tell me that I like following in that, that man's footsteps!" he said in a low but icy voice.  
  
The rest of the trip continued in silence. Hermione felt the chill slowly subside, and return to normal temperature.  
  
{What was that about?} she wondered.  
  
But she wasn't / didn't wonder any longer, because the carriage halted to a stop and the carriage door opened. Draco Malfoy held out his hand, an invitation for her to come down. Then, both of them went in separate ways toward the Great Hall.  
  
  
  
"Betting 10 sickles that Mione's with Malfoy!" Cassandra said.  
  
"A galleon that she isn't with him! I don't really think that she's that stupid you know!" Harry retorted.  
  
"I don't know, Harry." Ginny said. "Malfoy's looks aren't bad. Half the girls in 6th year think he's really good looking. The other half think that he's a god."  
  
"Ginny! Who are you siding on anyway? Us or him?" Ron said, aghast.  
  
"I don't really know. Maybe I'll side with Malfoy." She replied coyly.  
  
"What?! My own sister!" said Ron, his face turning white with shock.  
  
"Just kidding!" Ginny said.  
  
"Anyhow, I don't think Malfoy would be picked as a Head anyway." Harry said.  
  
"Don't know about that." said Victoria.  
  
  
  
The great hall slowly filled up with students, all fresh from vacation. All were laughing, chatting, and complaining (about the short vacation). Draco Malfoy sat silently, ignoring the voices all around him, lost in his thoughts.  
  
{Why did he pick me as Head Boy? I have never been what you could consider a 'good boy'. Does my sister have something to do with this? As far as I know, Dumbledore knew her very well.} His thoughts reverted to his encounter with Potter's gang on the train. {Should I tell him? Or does he already know?} His thoughts were fully interrupted by Pansy's high shrilly laughter.  
  
"Pansy, could you lower it down? I'm having a headache." Draco said.  
  
"Draco, darling, I'm sorry." Pansy said in a sickeningly sweet voice.  
  
{Oh boy. . .this is going to be a long day.}  
  
  
  
Hermione didn't notice Ginny, Harry and Ron plop down beside and across her. She was thinking of the things she was going to do to make her last year (with Malfoy) at least good.  
  
"So, why didn't you go with us?" a voice behind her said.  
  
"Oh! Harry! Sorry, I just assumed that you guys would make the carriage full, and if you still had me there, we would be uncomfortable. And besides-" Hermione suddenly remembered what Prof. McGonagall told them. 'Don't tell your friends yet, although I assume that you would want to.'}  
  
"Besides what Mione?"  
  
"No, nothing."  
  
"What Mione?" Ron asked.  
  
"Nothing Ron, and besides, the assembly's starting."  
  
"What? C'mon Mione!"  
  
"Hush Ron! The assembly's starting!" she said irritably.  
  
"Students! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Prof. Dumbledore paused and looked at them all.  
  
"Contrary to the usual Hogwarts tradition, we will announce the Heads Girl and Boy-"  
  
"That's not unusual." Dean Thomas remarked  
  
"—and the prefects too."  
  
"Really Dean, not unusual?" said Seamus Finneagan.  
  
"Hush you two!" Ginny said.  
  
"These students, who we have chosen as prefects, have shown extraordinary talent, and qualities which we, the Hogwarts staff, consider qualifies them for their position. And, without much further ado, let me announce them!" Prof. Dumbledore paused for a while, motioning for the teachers to come forward, in front of the table.  
  
"For Ravenclaw! Ms. Cassandra Nott!"  
  
Much cheer came from the Ravenclaw table, while Prof. Sprout ( she took the Ravenclaw teacher's place because someone spiked her drink and made her have LBM.) pinned the prefect's badge on Cassandra's robe.  
  
"For Hufflepuff! Ms. Victoria Moon!"  
  
Just the same, many cheers came from the Hufflepuff side while Prof. Sprout pinned the badge on Victoria's robe.  
  
"For Gryffindor! Ms. Virginia Weasley!  
  
The Gryffindor table erupted with cheers as Prof. McGonagall pinned the badge on Ginny ( who was blushing furiously. )  
  
"For Slytherin! Mr. Blaise Zabini!"  
  
"Him? What does he have?" commented Ron.  
  
The Slytherin table cheered and Pansy's squeal was mingled with it while Prof. Snape helped Blaise pin his badge.  
  
"My, my, Pansy sounds like a pig." Harry commented. "Too bad Dudley isn't here, they could make a match. The Pig Boy and Girl."  
  
Ron tried to hide a snort of laughter.  
  
"And now, I will announce the Heads Girl and Boy. These two have shown  
  
good examples of leadership, bravery, and a lot more of qualities. You may find these two students very. . . different, but I'm assured that they will work together in harmony and set a good example to our students." Dumbledore's twinkled with amusement.  
  
"Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Snape, please step forward."  
  
Ron and Harry looked at each other. Both knew what each other were thinking.  
  
"You don't think. . ."  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"These students have shown extraordinary intelligence and bravery in all their years in Hogwarts. May we please welcome the new Heads Girl and Boy, from Slytherin, Mr. Draco Malfoy and from Gryffindor, Ms. Hermione Granger!"  
  
Applause came, mixed in with Pansy's squeals and some Slyteherin's boos.  
  
Professor McGonagall pinned the Head Girl badge on Hermione.  
  
"I hope this year will go on well for you dear." She said in a kind of kind way.  
  
"I hope so too Professor." She replied.  
  
{I really do hope so} she added as an afterthought as she thought of what happened on the train and in the carriage.  
  
  
  
Draco sat, uninterested in the prefect announcements, lost in thought. Sure enough, he could still hear Pansy squealing like a baby pig near him, but his mind was somewhere else.  
  
He thought of Hogwarts, it's many passages and hallways, the teachers, and how fast the year would go by. He thought of that great decision he had to make at the end of the year, the decision the will determine his life. He thought of his sister, there, hiding against the Dark Lord, fighting for what she called "the future generation". He thought of his mother, submissive and rebellious at the same time, bowing at his father's command meekly but secretly planning other things. He thought of his pet dog, which he had found in their doorstep a long, long time ago, who was killed by his father, thinking that it was just for 'weak people'.  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Pansy emitted another loud squeal in cheer for the Slytherin prefect.  
  
He looked at Dumbledore, not knowing where else to look. He (Dumbledore) was saying something about the Heads, amusement in his eyes. Then, Dumbledore looked at him for a brief moment straight in the eye, as if knowing what he was thinking.  
  
He heard his name being announced, and he walked over to the teacher's table. Granger, who sat in the middle of the table, reached the teacher's faster than he did.  
  
When he got there, Prof. Snape pinned the badge on his cloak.  
  
"Good Luck Mr. Malfoy. Everything now that will happen to you is in your hands." He (Snape) told him.  
  
He didn't reply. Instead, he was trying to keep those words in his head.  
  
{All in my Hands now.} he thought. {Just all in my hands}  
  
"Now, students," said Dumbledore, "a little bit of silence please."  
  
The whole hall suddenly hushed up.  
  
"I would just like to inform you about the notices. The forest is still forbidden—"  
  
"Yeah. Of course it is. That's why it's named the Forbidden Forest." said Ron.  
  
Harry tried to keep from laughing out loud.  
  
[A/N: Draco doesn't hear these stuff. I just put it in.]  
  
"—to all first years and to people who do not wish to be harmed. We also have decided to put back our old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Prof. Lupin, due to ah. . .an unfortunate accident that happened to our old teacher, Prof. Noddinghood. Prof. Lupin will arrive tomorrow morning, so the students who do not wish to have this class still have to take it." Dumbledore's eyes looked at the students, smiling.  
  
"The Yule Ball will still be in December, and it is up to our Heads to plan it, along with the Halloween Hop. And. . .yes, please remember that quidditch tryouts will begin next week. I do think that that is all. Everyone, Nibble Down!"  
  
Food, just like always, appeared in front of them, and everyone started to dig in. Prof. Dumbledore motioned for them to come to him.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, please sit down at this table. I will escort you to your own dorm later." And then, he went to sat at the teacher's table.  
  
Draco looked at the round table (which was beside Hagrid) and then looked at the Great Hall. He marveled at the view (of the Hall) from where he was standing. The sky was dark and dotted with brilliant stars and the candle flames below it seemed to him like a golden river underneath a starry sky.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione, who coughed loudly.  
  
"Are you going to sit down or are we going to spend the rest of the evening here standing?"  
  
"I'd rather sit down, thank you, but I don't know about you." He replied in his usual tone of voice.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Hermione sat down and filled her plate with food, totally unmindful of him.  
  
{I just hope this ends fast.} he thought.  
  
  
  
Dinner, lest to say, did not suit Hermione well. First off all, tension was between her and Malfoy, because of what happened a few hours ago, and also because Hermione was in fear of feeling the sensation she felt a while ago in the carriage. But dinner passed by quickly enough, and before she knew it, Prof. Dumbledore was ushering them out of the Great Hall and into an unfamiliar corridor.  
  
The Professor stopped suddenly and motioned for her and Malfoy to come closer.  
  
"This is the Heads' corridor. It is totally invisible to everyone except to the Heads and to the Teachers. I know that you may want to bring your friends here--" Prof. Dumbledore paused and looked at her, "It would be a waste of time, because they cannot and will not see it." With those words they proceeded to their destination.  
  
They saw lots of paintings and statues, some with gruesome pictures, with happy ones, with weird ones, and one, at the end of the corridor, a very striking one. It showed a picture of a couple, the girl dressed in a forest green gown, with pink stones to ornament it, and the guy wearing a very formal suit with a tailcoat. The clothes weren't the one that struck Hermione most, it was them. The girl had really creamy white skin, and her cheeks showed a faint blush. Her eyes were midnight blue, but, if you looked close enough, there was a royal blue shade in the middle of her eye. Her hair was literally really black; you'd have to say it a thousand times to really describe how black it was. The guy was also raven haired, and had golden eyes. His eyes were twinkling, with what, she did not know, he had creamy skin also, but, a little bit on the tanned side.  
  
"Good Evening, Mary, Jaq [A/N/: Anyone here know Cinderella's mice?], I bring with me the new Head Girl, Hermione, and the new Head Boy, Draco. Hermione, Draco, this is Mary and Jaq Lu Vont."  
  
Hermione smiled at the two, and they smiled back.  
  
"Please decide on the password that you will be using for the rest of the year." Said the Professor.  
  
Interesting words that Hermione had read from books began to crowd her mind. Shrivelfrigs? Bucconters? "Maybe—'' she started to say, but was cut off by Malfoy.  
  
"Proginoskes."  
  
"Hey! I haven't agreed to that!"  
  
"Can you think of something better?"  
  
"Not now!"  
  
He gave her a smug, satisfied smirk.  
  
"Then Proginoskes it is then!"  
  
The Professor led the two students into a room which stunned them for a moment. There were two armchairs, one sofa, a very cozy fire on the fireplace, and some plants. Hermione's eyes scanned the room. The walls were covered with French styled wallpaper, and the windows showed the starry sky outside. The atmosphere of the room was friendly, comforting, and pleasant. She scanned the room around more, and saw the Houses' logo/ patch on it. The patches were like shields, being made out of metal, but they had color.  
  
"Professor?" she asked, "why are the Houses' patches there?"  
  
"These serve as the 'portal', which will transport you two, to the common room of the houses. It is your duty to write a report every week about the behavior of the houses in the common room, which, needless to say, means that you will have to check on them. Once passing this portal, you will become invisible at will, and vice versa.  
  
Now those two--" he pointed at two statues on opposite sides of the room, "are the entrances to your own rooms. You will also need to give your own passwords, which you may share, or may not. All your baggages are inside, and, I believe, a fire was also lighted. Now, if there are no problems, I will leave you two. I want to see both of you alive tomorrow morning, okay? G' night!" and then, he exited the door.  
  
Hermione scanned the room once more and saw Malfoy whispering something to the statue.  
  
"What are you doing, if I may ask?" she asked.  
  
"What do you think Granger? Shouting? And by the way, you are already asking." He replied sarcastically.  
  
"Ha Ha, Malfoy. Now answer me straight."  
  
"I was just whispering my password. Why? Curious?"  
  
"Yeah right. Go to sleep and wind up in hell will you."  
  
"Sure! Ta Ta, Dimwit!"  
  
"Come back you idiot!"  
  
Hermione sighed and went to her own statue. The statue was of a Dryad, [A/N: I think it's the water nymph] sitting near a stream.  
  
"Umbreon." She said.  
  
Almost immediately, the Dryad turned to full color and moved around. "Oh! So you are interested in the sunlight are you not?"  
  
She just smiled warily.  
  
"Ok! I'll let you in!"  
  
The door swung open to reveal a room that was dimly lighted. She didn't have time to examine and explore the room, she was too tired, and was ready to collapse. She found her way to the bed, took off her uniform, and snuggled into her pajamas.  
  
"So nice, so comfy." Those were the last words she said before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
Draco Malfoy lay down on his bed, thinking about his password.  
  
{Where did I get that word?}  
  
Espeon, espeon, he recalled every memory he had, but had not found it.  
  
{Never mind.}  
  
{At least I entered the door before Granger had the time to mutilate me.}  
  
He smiled at the thought and closed his eyes.  
  
{Oh well.}  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not even the computer that I'm working on. I just own the plot, and the brain behind it. Not even Umbreon and Espeon are mine! Not even Mary and Jaq! 


	4. Chapter 4 Trouble in Transfiguration

Title: From the Heart  
  
Author: Seiki  
  
Rating: pg 15  
  
A/N: Due to a st**id mistake, I had to repeat this all over again. So have pity on me and please review for my hard work! ^-^ Hope you enjoy!  
  
She-who-must-not-be-named – I'm sure, that by the time I post this, you will know why I made this st**id mistake so, DON'T LAUGH. ^-^  
  
Y. Kuang – Thanks for reviewing! I already read your story! (For those who haven't read, read 'Perfect Prefects . . .or Not!)  
  
Ginnysgreat – Glad you like it!  
  
Mr. Hyde – Thankkkkssssss Ameeeeegggggo. ^-^  
  
Dr. Beaver – Yup. It's Madeline L' Engle's. Ambreon and Espeon are Pokemon, got those from my younger brother. (I think Ambreon is the Sunlight pokemon and Espeon is the Moonlight one. ^-^)  
  
It's rolling!  
  
Chapter 4 "Trouble in Transfiguration"  
  
Hermione Granger woke up to find sunlight streaming on her, from an open window, which she forgot to close last night.  
  
/What time is it?/ she thought.  
  
She rolled over to check the time on the mini alarm she had been using ever since 5th year.  
  
/Holy Flying Cows! It's 8:30! I'm gonna be late!/  
  
She ran out of her room, grabbing her towel along the way, stumbling over a shoe, and hitting herself on the door. [A/N: I know it sounds kinda st**id, but . . .]  
  
"Owowowowowowowowow!" she said out loud, then she resumed her trip to the bathroom, but this time, she hopped with her one foot.  
  
Hermione finally got into the bathroom. She hastily jumped into the pool-like bathtub and swam (rather clumsily and slowly) to the other end of the pool, where the taps were located. After a few minutes of struggling in water [A/N: She isn't good at all in swimming ok?], she finally reached the taps, opened one, and bathed quickly. After that, she hurriedly dressed, not taking notice of her clothing (she wore the usual uniform) and left the bathroom. She crossed their common room, with the intention of going to her room to fix her bag.  
  
"Nice view, Granger." a voice said.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, looking at ice-blue eyes, which seem to bore into his. He was shocked, truth to be told, when his Eagle owl, Lasagire, brought a package and a letter to him. Lasagire swooped down low on his bed and dropped the package gently, as if her child was inside. She hooted in a mellow tone, as if assuring the thing inside it that it would be okay. Malfoy gingerly took the package and gently shook it. Lasagire hooted again, but this time, as if in warning. She undid the ropes with her beak, causing the paper, which wrapped the cage, fall. That was when Draco Malfoy got the shock of his life.  
  
"What in seven blazes is that?"  
  
Staring back at him was a creature, kind of like a cat, whose silky fur was colored dark violet mixed with midnight blue, with a few stripes of golden yellow in it's belly. It had a medium lengthened tail, which had two golden yellow rings near the tip. What shocked him most about it were its' eyes. When he first looked at them (when Lasagire undid the ropes), he felt like he was falling down a waterfall. Its' eyes were literally ice blue, which darkened at the center.  
  
"Who the hell sent me this?" he questioned himself.  
  
Lasagire motioned to the letter beside him. He got the letter, tore the envelope open, and read:  
  
My Dearest Brother,  
  
How are you? I am fine. Voldemort still hasn't found us. So that means we are safe, for the time being. How is mother? Is father still beating her? How is Dobby? Where is he now? Oh, I'm sure, by now, knowing you, you have opened the package that I sent. I asked Lasagire to take special care of the package. That creature inside is of rare species. It was, and still is believed to have come from the mountain of angels, and no one managed to go up there yet, so I don't know how this little one got down. Take care of her. Treat her like you did with Nuggets [A/N: The doggie he had when he was still young.] Treat her with care. I did not send her as a replacement for Nuggets; he will always remain there in your heart, although you deny it. I will inform you of further happenings in the outside world, away from your protected one from time to time. Write to me too!  
  
P.S. I already named her Espeon, and she answers to nothing else.  
  
With lots of love,  
  
  
  
Natty  
  
/Espeon? She named her Espeon? Where did she get that?/  
  
The cat-creature was now looking at its new surroundings. Its' wide eyes open, its' head turning around. It—or rather Espeon, was sniffing his pillow and was pawing it.  
  
"Hey! Kitty!"  
  
The cat didn't even move a hair. It continued to paw his pillow, ripping a part of it with its' semi-sharp claws. He remembered what his sister said in her letter. It won't answer to anything except Espeon.  
  
"Hey, Espeon!"  
  
The cat's head turned slightly but didn't move further. It now moved on to another new point of interest, his blankets.  
  
"Hey, Espie! Kitty! Espie!"  
  
The kitty's head jerked up, and she jumped and sat on the floor, turning her head up to look at him.  
  
"Meow!"  
  
Draco's heart was immediately taken. The kitty's eyes showed signs of being frightened, yet amazed at her new world, her new location.  
  
"You're probably frightened aren't you, little kitty?" he said, while ruffling her hair.  
  
The kitten just closed her eyes and let out a purr.  
  
"Don't worry, my sister gave you to me, so, you're my responsibility."  
  
"Meowrr. . ."  
  
"Poor Espie, you're probably cold. I'll try to make you warm."  
  
As he said those words, he concentrated on using his newfound power, [A/N: the one which he used on Mione.] to warm the kitten up. Slowly, he felt the room's temperature rise into a comforting warmth, which he also enjoyed.  
  
"I'll leave you for a while, okay? Lasagire--" he paused and looked at his owl, "Make sure she doesn't get out. I shall go now."  
  
Lasagire gave him a hoot of reassurance as an answer.  
  
"Thanks, girl."  
  
Draco Malfoy went out of his room and sat on the couch. He checked the clock that was on the mantel; it said 7:30.  
  
/Oh well, I'm way early for class, and I'm sure that there'll be nobody in the great hall at this time, so, I'll just stay for a while, I guess./  
  
He was just getting comfortable in his seat when suddenly, the door of the Heads' bathroom burst open, revealing a newly bathed, frazzled Hermione Granger. She quickly walked to the direction of her room, obviously not noticing Draco. Actually, if she didn't turn around, he wouldn't have noticed anything. But she did. Draco saw that her skirt was uplifted [A/N: you know, when you are in a hurry and you don't notice that the back of your skirt is folded up or something?] and, or rather, which enabled him to see quite a part of her upper thighs. They were creamy in color, and not a blemish, pimple or scar was to be found. Draco smirked.  
  
"Nice view, Granger." He commented.  
  
Granger stopped in her tracks and looked at him.  
  
"What did you say?" her voice full of icy scorn.  
  
"I said, the view that's at your back is very nice. You should learn to fix your clothes properly, though."  
  
Granger turned around and saw her skirt hitched up a bit at her back. She gave a gasp, turned red and fixed her skirt.  
  
"Where are you planning to go off to in such a rush?"  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, Malfoy, it's 8:30 in the morning, which makes me late for class." She said in a high, self-righteous voice.  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, Granger, it's only 7:30 in the morning, which doesn't make me late for class. In the contrary, I'm quite positive that I'm not even late for breakfast." He mimicked her in the same tone she used.  
  
"Why you, you, dirty scumbag! Don't mock me! You probably don't know the time! I bet you haven't checked the clock yet!"  
  
"My dear, you'd better have a look." He said with a smirk, while motioning to the clock on the mantel.  
  
She turned around, went to the fireplace, to get a closer look.  
  
"So, am I right Granger?"  
  
"Yes you are, Malfoy." She said in a still icy voice.  
  
"So, where do you plan to go now?"  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Really? How come? I'm Head Boy, which makes it my business too."  
  
"For your information, Mr. Malfoy, I am going to my room now to fix my bag. There, happy?" she replied with a glare.  
  
"Satisfied."  
  
Granger turned to go to her room.  
  
"Watch your back Granger, watch your back." He murmured.  
  
***  
  
/Oh that bloody idiotic prat! He's so full of himself that he might explode any moment from now! How dare he! /  
  
She angrily stuffed her Transfiguration book in her bag.  
  
/Oh what am I doing! I shouldn't be wasting my thought on that—that—ferret!/  
  
She walked across her room to get her Potions book.  
  
"Bloody hell!"  
  
In the process of going to her desk, where her book was, she had unsettled a bottle of ink and caused a stain on the carpet. She hastily got out her wand and muttered the spell that would clean it up.  
  
"Oh well, I'd better get going. I guess I already have everything in my bag. Stupid Malfoy."  
  
She pushed open the door of her room, checked the back of her skirt, and walked out of their common room. She walked quickly to the direction of the Great Hall. There, in the Gryffindor table, she saw Harry conversing with someone from the next table, the Ravenclaw table. Walking closer, she saw that the person that Harry was talking to was Cassie. Cassandra was laughing and Harry looked sulky.  
  
"Hey Cassie! Hi, Harry!"  
  
"Hey Hermione! Enjoy your night?" Cassie said in a teasing voice.  
  
"What do you mean, Cass?"  
  
"Oh come on, Mione, everyone knows that Malfoy's handsome, and you spent your night sharing the same room with him and, you're the envy of the whole female population of Hogwarts!"  
  
"The envy? Hah! I'd rather eat dirt!"  
  
"Hey Harry," Cassandra said, turning her head to face Harry, "You owe me a Galleon for losing that bet."  
  
"What bet?" Questioned Hermione.  
  
"Last night, during the sorting, Harry bet that you weren't with Malfoy, and that Malfoy wasn't Head Boy. Unfortunately, he lost to me and owes me a Galleon." Cassandra gave Hermione a fake wicked grin.  
  
Normally, Hermione would have been outraged at what they have done, but, seeing Cassandra's funny fake wicked face, and Harry's forlorn one, she burst out laughing.  
  
"Serves you right, Harry! Never mind about that, Pay her up and lets eat!"  
  
So Harry did exactly that. He paid Cassie up, and sat down to eat with Hermione. After a plate or two, and a good goblet of orange juice, Harry asked Hermione the question that she had been expecting ever since last night.  
  
"Mione, answer me truthfully, did something happen with you and Malfoy last night? Did he hurt you or something?"  
  
"Harry, even if he tried to, you know he couldn't have. I can protect myself. I'm not a baby bird who can't fly and use her wings. I have mine already. And I also have my wand." She said seriously.  
  
Harry gave her a smile of trust. "I believe in you. After all, you do have your wand."  
  
"Harry!" she said while attempting to hit his head with her goblet.  
  
"Just joking!"  
  
'THWACK!'  
  
"Seriously, Herm! I'm just joking!"  
  
'THWACK!"  
  
"Ow!"  
  
Breakfast ended 15 'THWACKS!' later, and Hermione, Harry and a still guffawing Ronald Weasley headed to their first class, Transfiguration. Contrary, again, to their usual tradition, the teachers told them that they would not know what house they would be partnering in their class until the class itself. So, things may change. It could be that you were partners with Slytherin with one day and Ravenclaw the other. Most of the students didn't like it, but to Hermione, it was fine. It meant that she would be able to spend lessons with Cass and Vicky and still be able to avoid the Slytherins.  
  
They entered the Transfiguration room only to be faced with a surprise.  
  
The Slytherins were there.  
  
Sitting in Hermione's seat was Draco Malfoy [A/N: You know, the seat and table where two people can sit down on it?]. Hermione looked around at her classmates and saw hat most of them had similar looks on their faces. Harry was going to sit with Pansy Parkinson, who didn't look as if she liked the seating arrangements as well. Ron was going to sit with a pretty Slytherin girl, whom she didn't know (Ron looked pleased though, when he saw who he was sitting with.) but looked as if she was kinder than most of the lot. Lavander was going to sit with Crabbe, while Parvati was assigned to Goyle. Both of them, when they saw who they were going to sit with, possessed equal, and twin looks of disgust and horror (although Crabbe and Goyle were grinning stupidly {as usual}).  
  
/Oh bloody cow! What could be worse than this?/ [A/N: Hermione would find something much, much worse later, although she doesn't know it yet. ;) ]  
  
The Professor, seeing the looks on their faces, looked at Malfoy, then at her, Hermione, meaningfully. The Professor didn't have to do say anything though. They both understood what she meant. Hermione looked at Malfoy in a challenging way, her aura clearly saying, 'you first.' Malfoy's face dawned with comprehension at what she was trying to say to him. His next move caught her off-guard.  
  
Malfoy stood up, quite dramatically, and at the same time pushing his chair hard, to make a loud sound, to attract the students' attention. Everyone forgot his or her thoughts at the sound of the chair scraping the ground. The sound, which would normally seem loud only when the room is as quiet as a tomb, was magnified. He walked three paces towards her and dropped to the ground on his knees, saying,  
  
"Granny Hermione, would you please grant me the honor of pul- eh I mean- escorting you to sit beside me?''  
  
/GRANNY! The little b*****d dare call me GRANNY! /  
  
But since she couldn't possibly shout at him in front of Professor McGonagall, she just smiled at him with very fake sweetness and said,  
  
"Of course, dear bas- ehrm- Head Boy, we must set a good example after all."  
  
Malfoy pulled a chair out beside his on her table and motioned for her to sit down.  
  
"Ladies First."  
  
Hermione sat down on the chair that Draco offered her, and he sat down on the other one. The Professor gave them both a small smile.  
  
The whole class and room were silent, maybe shocked at the exchange of words and actions they just saw. After all, this wasn't typical Hermione and Malfoy behavior.  
  
Hermione turned around to face their classmates.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to sit down?"  
  
***  
  
Harry was in a mild shock. He felt like he couldn't move, but in reality, he could. He felt as if he wasn't breathing, but he was.  
  
Guess why he was shocked.  
  
Guessed it? Right. He was shocked at the exchange he saw between Hermione and Malfoy.  
  
That was not typical behavior.  
  
He remembered what Ron said before : "The day Malfoy and Mione work together in Harmony is the day Neville will ace a Potions exam."  
  
Well they were working in harmony now, although it was a little bit forced.  
  
Hermione turned around to face them and said,  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to sit down?"  
  
Most of the class just nodded their heads, including the Slytherins.  
  
Harry looked at his partner.  
  
Pansy? / Ewww./  
  
But he had to do it, anyway.  
  
"Uh, hi Parkinson."  
  
"Speak for yourself, Potter." She replied in an icy tone.  
  
/Neville better ace that test soon./  
  
***  
  
Ron, although shocked, was looking forward to sitting next to the pretty Slytherin girl. She looked nicer than most Slytherin girls, and seemed more polite.  
  
"Um, hi! I'm Ron. What's your name?" he addressed the girl.  
  
"Hi Ron! I'm Jaime, a sixth year."  
  
"Really? Then why are you here?"  
  
"In our school, the standard of our sixth year is the same as your seventh. But my dad got transferred here, and he wanted to continue my level as sixth year. So I have to take 7th year twice."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Can you show me around the school sometime, Ron?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
***  
  
  
  
"Now class, we will be studying Human – Animal Transfiguration. If you remember, we have been working on transfiguring things into animals last year. And I think that you are ready for a more difficult task. You will transfigure your partner into an animal."  
  
Murmurs were heard throughout the classroom.  
  
"You must concentrate on what animal you want your partner to be. Your mind must not wander around like some lost ghost, or tragic results may arise. For those who plan to mess up purposely, please bear in mind that this will also be like a test. I will grade the quality of the animal that you have transfigured. No animal should be the same, unless, there are some people here who think that their classmates are all the same animals. Now, all the people on the right are the ones to be transfigured in this session."  
  
Hermione felt Malfoy look at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you realize that I have to transfigure you into something?"  
  
"Yes. Poor me though, you'd probably mess up. I don't think that you're that good a student."  
  
"Really? And if I succeed?"  
  
"I'm going to. . .do your Astronomy homework." She replied.  
  
"Really? It's a deal!"  
  
"Now, the spell to say is 'Transfigura Anima'. Please repeat after me, without wands."  
  
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted.  
  
"Now, it is time to work with your partners. Please face each other-- " Malfoy and Hermione faced each other, Hermione with hidden anxiety (that Malfoy might do something wrong and she might end up in the hospital wing again, just like in the second year.) Malfoy, with a hidden smirk (thinking of what animal he will transfigure Hermione into.), "--and concentrate."  
  
Hermione saw Malfoy's knit his eyebrows. She didn't know if it was to concentrate, or for some other purpose.  
  
"Now, say the spell!"  
  
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted again, but this time, with wands.  
  
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and Hermione felt kind of dizzy. Her vision blurred, she couldn't breathe (for a few seconds), her body was shrinking, and suddenly, it all stopped.  
  
/That's funny, I didn't feel any pain./  
  
She heard a really loud voice, which made her head ache, and then, she felt dizzy all over again. Someone was bringing her somewhere, but she still had her eyes closed. She felt that someone place her on the table. She took a few dizzy steps. Swaying and staggering because of some foreign weight that was on her. She tripped and fell down.  
  
/Ow!/  
  
She sat down and rubbed her eyes. She heard coos of 'how cute!' in her north. When she opened them, her vision was not so clear, but after a few blinks, she thought that she was in the wrong room.  
  
There were a bunch of people WITH ANIMALS. She could see Harry with a baby pig which tail was colored yellow, she could see Ron's partner with an orange kitten, she could see Lavander with an indistinguishable 'thing' that, as she thought, was supposed to be Crabbe. Goyle also has a feathered, scaled thing with a cream cake on top of it that, as she thought again was supposed to be Parvati. She looked to her right and saw the Professor; she looked to the left and saw Malfoy.  
  
"You stinking slimy git! Did you do something wrong?" she shouted at him.  
  
To her great surprise, all that emitted from her was a high-pitched squeak.  
  
The Professor, commenting on how good Malfoy's work was, and saying that he had a perfect score, handed a mirror to her.  
  
She just stood there, frozen, with her mouth open.  
  
***  
  
She's gonna lose her bet. That's for sure.  
  
He began to concentrate on what he would turn Granger into. His mother taught him about Transfiguration even before he started Hogwarts. She told him that this subject was immensely complicated. Any loss of concentration will make the spell backfire. He thought of turning her into a beaver.  
  
/Nah. Her teeth got smaller, so no use of turning her into a big toothed one again. How's bout I turn her into a tiger? Nah. Trash that idea. She'll probably eat me alive after I transfigure her. Aha!/  
  
He'll transfigure her into a flying squirrel! Flying squirrels were cute, and so was she so he didn't have to imagine her out, they were small, and they can't eat humans.  
  
/Wait—Granger? And Cute? On the same sentence? Okay, I'll change it, Granger was like a flying squirrel. Because they were both cute. That was better!/  
  
He shifted all his energies now into concentration. When McGonagall told them to face each other, all he saw in her face was cool calmness. But she couldn't fool him. He could feel in her aura that she was full of anxiety. He knitted his eyebrows together in concentration (again) and formed a picture of a flying squirrel.  
  
"Transfigura Anima!" he chanted, along with the other students in the room.  
  
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and she changed into a squirrel. She was cuter as an animal, actually. Her fur was silky and brown, so were her eyes, she had a white line of fur at her back. He brought her to the table, at McGonagall's request and put her on the table. She tried taking a few steps but fell. There were coos of 'oh! How cute!' from the female students. She rubbed her eyes (another chorus of Oh! How Cute!) and opened them.  
  
"Very good Mr. Malfoy! Perfect marks!" McGonagall said.  
  
She (Granger) emitted a loud squeal. Weird, though, he seemed to understand what she was saying. Something about a stinking slimy git and doing something wrong.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? Chant the reversal spell, 'Transfgura Humana' so that Ms. Granger might return to her original form. Please take your seat now. Next! Mr. Potter and the Pig!"  
  
He returned to his seat and said the reversal spell. There was a hideous shade of orange, then, the squirrel turned into Hermione. The spell must have had an effect on her because she turned a bright shade of red.  
  
"Why are you angry?"  
  
"Why did you transfigure me into a squirrel?" her voice full of silent anger.  
  
"Lucky I didn't transfigure you into a pig--" motioning his head to Potter, "or a lumpful thing--" motioning to Lavender.  
  
"Well—you have a point." She admitted.  
  
"Looks like you're gonna have extra homework to do." He said with a smirk.  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
"And I'll have another load off my back."  
  
"Don't mention that too."  
  
***  
  
Hermione sighed. Here she was, after Transfiguration class, and was really tired. She had to do all his Astronomy homework, and he was being insufferable.  
  
"Better head for the washroom."  
  
She was alone. No Harry and Ron to accompany her. They were assigned to bring those who have 'not been transformed and returned properly' to the hospital wing.  
  
"Lucky no one's here."  
  
She used the bathroom, and then proceeded to their common room. She went in the corridor, then, stopped at one painting. This was the painting of a child, about 7-8 years old. The child was playing in the grass, when suddenly the clouds darkened (there was weather in paintings?!) and the it started to rain. Out of nowhere, another child appeared, but this time it was a boy, the same age as the other child, who handed her an umbrella, and they walked hand in hand away from the raining painting to find a sunny one.  
  
She was reminded of someone, somehow, but she couldn't place it.  
  
"Hermione, dearest, why so deep in thought?"  
  
She looked up and saw Mary Lu Vont, smiling, in a concerned way at her.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. Where's Jaq?"  
  
"He's gone to fetch Jack and Jill."  
  
"Jack and Jill? Didn't they come from a rhyme?"  
  
"Yes. We named them Jack and Jill because we found them tumbling down Violet's staircase, and Jack broke his plastic crown."  
  
"Oh." She (Hermione) gave a small chuckle.  
  
"Password?"  
  
"Proginoskes."  
  
The portrait swung open and Hermione went inside. She dropped the bag and sat on the armchair, which had the letter H engraved on it.  
  
"Ah. Rest and—EEEEEKKKK!"  
  
Something was squiggling in her chair. She leaned in for a closer look. There was a creature there, a fat black caterpillar, or it seemed to be.  
  
"Oh, how cute! Here, don't be—YECHH!"  
  
The caterpillar had squirted something on her robes, which turned them bright green.  
  
"WHO PUT THIS THING ON MY CHAIR!" she screamed out loud.  
  
She heard laughter from the other room.  
  
"MALFOY!"  
  
She only heard him laugh louder.  
  
"This is WAR!"  
  
  
  
Further A/N: man! It took me two weeks to write this!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this chapter. I own the animals though! I own the diskette…I don't own the time…hmm… ;) 


	5. Chapter 5 A 'Trip' to Detention I

Title: From the Heart

Author: Seiki

Rating: PG13 (ok, ok! ^-^)

A/N: … … … … … …?

Seiki: Oh my boiling mashed potatoes! [huh?] The authors' notes are missing! Alert the NBI! The navy! The army! The police!

She-who-must-not-be-named: So, it's just a note, not like it was a long letter, you know.

Seiki: (looks suspiciously at she-who… …) You took it!

S-w-m-n-b-n: (grins evilly)

Seiki: (wallops her with a codfish) Hah! Take that, and that, and that, and those!

[Hoo Boy!]

Chapter 5 "A 'Trip' to Detention I"

          Hermione woke up to the smell of a mixture of fart and garbage.

          "What the hell…" 

          Her eyes fell on the green—currently turning into a hideous shade of orange—robe which the worm spewed its' sauce on. She stood up and walked over to it. A further sniff informed her that this was where the smell was coming from.

          "Damn that Malfoy. He's gonna get his comeuppance sooner or later."

          She went out of her room and went straight into the bathroom. There was no sign of anyone having used it yet, for the water was still clean and no footprints were to be found.

          _That Malfoy's late again. Oh well. What do I care, anyway?_

          She carefully scrubbed her body, and using the sweetest smelling tap there to rid herself of the horrible smell (which she got from her room) and to remove some green stuff that had also stuck to her.

          _Damn him. Why an I thinking about him anyway? It's not like he's of any importance to me._

          She finished bathing and dressed up. 

          "I'd just better think of Potions. Wonder who's going to be our housepartner for today. Hope it's not Slytherin. Boiling mashed potatoes knows what will happen if I get to see that ferret face again."

          She picked up her bag, which was on the floor and was near her door, and went out of their common room, and went to the directly to the great hall.

~*~

          Draco Malfoy woke up sweating. He had just woken from a very bad nightmare. 

          Flashback

          _"Mother? Mother?"_

          _A high __pitched scream cut through the air like a knife._

          _"MOTHER! WHERE ARE YOU?"_

          _Another high pitched scream filled the air and then…_

          end of flashback

          He tried to forget about it and tried to fall asleep again. But he couldn't. He looked at the antique clock his mother had given him before he went for his 7th year.

          "This clock holds a secret my son. You will know in the right time." That was what she had said.

          He checked the time and saw that it was only 7 am. 

          _Granny must still be asleep. Oh well. Better take a bath._

          He crept silently towards the bathroom, and when he got there, he sunk into the pool and bathed quickly. He thought of staying in the common room for a while, but decided against it. He'd just better go to the Great Hall. In that way, he might be able to avoid Parkinson. Lately, she had been getting on his nerves. 

          _And I don't want to see what I'd do to her if my patience snaps. I really don't._

~*~

          Cassandra Nott sat down in the Prefects common room. She had just come from her room after taking a bath and she was just waiting for Victoria. They had an agreement to meet at the common room today.

          _Sigh. As usual, Vicky is late._

          Someone just appeared behind her. Even though she couldn't see who that person was, she could feel him. It was a certain… …power that she had recently acquired.

          "Hello." She said, as she turned around to face that person.

          "Well hello too. This is a surprise. What's a pretty girl like you doing here in this hour of the morning? Aren't you supposed to get your beauty sleep or something?" that guy said.

          "Thank you for the compliments Zabini. Now cut it out."

          "Why, isn't it the girl with knots for brains. Cassandra Nott."

          "Look at your face first pimple guy."

          "Who're you calling pimple guy, wrinkle face?"

          In the truth, all the names that they were calling each other were very far from the truth. Cassandra had shiny, wavy auburn colored hair. Her face was smooth and creamy, pimple-less and wrinkle-free. Her eyes were colored light green that were sometimes mistaken for light blue.

          Blaise on the other hand had shiny black hair and dark red eyes [A/N: (Finally, found them!) Ooh! Devilish Look!] which, at first, may seem to people as just black with a tint of red. His face was also pimple and wrinkle-free, his skin was pale, with a bit of a tan.

          "Wrinkle face? Ha! That's funny."

          "And true too."

          "Any more originals Zabini? That one's getting old."

          "Uhm, hi guys." A female voice said.

          Zabini turned to face the holder of the voice.

          "Hello, Victoria, you grow more beautiful each day." 

          "Why thank you sir." She replied, doing a fake curtsy.

          "Vic! I can't believe you! Why did you curtsy to a scum bag?"

          "Because I'm not a scumbag?"

          "Shut your trap Zabini. Let's go Vicky."

          "Bye Blaise." She said, throwing him a sad smile.

           "Good bye, Victoria."

~*~

          Hermione Granger sat beside Ginny Weasley, in 6th year and was Ron Weasley's only sister, who was trying to catch Dean Thomas' eyes. She scanned the hall for Harry and Ron but couldn't find them. Ginny finally caught Dean's eyes. She wiggled her eyebrows and motioned to Colin Creevey. Dean smiled and gave her a 'thumbs up'. Hermione wondered why they were smiling. After a few seconds, she found out why. Colin Creevey gave out a high pitched shriek and stood up, and started to do something that looked like a dance. The whole hall laughed at what he was doing. Colin put his hands inside his robes and pulled out a worm with many short hairs. Suddenly, the hall became silent. 

          "What is the meaning of this?" came a strict voice.

          "H-hi Professor McGonagall. I just found this worm in myself. It just got lost, I guess." He replied while giving her a small smile.

          "Very well then, I don't want to see anymore worms getting lost. Is that clear?" she said, while looking at Ginny.

          "Yes, Professor." Both Ginny and Colin replied.

          Hermione smiled to herself and shook her head. Ginny was known as the second Fred and George in the whole of Hogwarts. She was the female version, and some people considered her better than Fred and George. But Ginny always shook her head and said that Fred and George were greater than her. She said that all she knew came from them, so that made them better. Colin was thought and known to have a liking for Ginny. That was why he always smiled whenever she played a trick on her.

          "Granger, Granger, and more thinking and you'll disappear from here. Which would do us a lot of good, actually."

          "Why don't you irritate someone else, Ferret?"

          "Because your orange juice is dripping on your robes? Your goblet has a hole."

          "What the--"

          Orange juice was really dripping on her robes. What made it worse was that the orange juice had spread all over her robes.

          "You've warned me already, so why don't you get out of here?"

          "Because I still have another message?"

          "Spill it already."

          "Dumbledore wants to see us after our first class."

          "Fine. Now scram."

          "Whatever Granny."

          _Damn that irritating, infuriating, filled with hot air Malfoy! _

          But she had no time to think about that. She had to clean her robes and head out to her first class, which happened to be Potions. 

          "This is so not my day! _Linisio!_"'

          The orange spot on her robes quickly disappeared. Most of her classmates had already gone out of the hall and were heading towards their respective classes. She had already begun getting all of her stuff when she saw Harry and Ron, rushing towards the Great Hall.

          "And where have you two been? I can take points off you guys, you know."

          "Oh come on, 'Mione. We just went to..ah..._arrange_ something. I'm sure you'll like it, so don't sass us about being late." Said Ron.

          "And, may I get a statement from you Harry?"

          "Why? Ron told you everything."

          "Do you really think that I'd believe that you two were up to no trouble? Knowing you two, you probably set up Malfoy's cauldron so that it would explode!"

          "We did not! Nice idea, though. Let's set that up in our agenda, Harry."

          "Sure thing, Ron."

          "Quit it you two! I'm really going to take off points!"

          "Okay, okay. We'll skip the cauldron thing." Said Harry.

          "But we won't cancel what we did!" added Ron.

          "Okay, fine, whatever! Just don't blame me if something goes wrong! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my Arithmancy lesson." And with that, she picked up her things and headed towards the direction of the classroom.

          "I hope those two aren't getting into trouble. It's just the second day of school, for goodness sake!" she shook her head and entered the class, only to find it empty.

          "What the catfish is going on? Where have they all gone?" [A/N Rhymes!] she exclaimed.

          She walked towards Prof. Crumpets' desk, looking for any note that she left. When she reached the table, a magical note popped out. 

          "Holy baked bean!" Hermione exclaimed again.

_Dear Student,_

_                   Our class session will be held in the grounds today. It would be such a shame to waste this           lovely day inside this room. Please hurry, so you won't be late. For those who plan to skip this class,           I have Mr. Filch on patrol, so please don't attempt it. Thank you._

                                                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                                                Professor Jeann Crumpets

_What the codfish is going on? Professor Crumpets? Lovely day? Outside? _

          Professor Crumpets would be the last teacher she'd expect to tell her students to go outside to study—well--apart from McGonagall and Snape. 

          _Waitaminute! Harry and Ron were up to something right? And they said that it would please her… was this what they planned?_

          "Never mind, never mind about it." She said to herself. 

          Hermione Granger went to the board and touched it lightly. The board opened up into a portal that was colored black. She tried to see through it, but with no success. 

          "Oh boy! Here goes nothing!"

          She leaned in the portal and felt herself being sucked in. Down, down, down she went, through the blackness of her surroundings, not knowing where she would end up. As her journey progressed, her surroundings became lighter in color. She felt herself being sucked out of the portal. She felt like she was flying, for a moment, when suddenly, she hit herself on something. Headfirst.

          "Ow!"

          "Granger, Granger, I knew you liked me but you don't have to show it this way." A voice said.

          She recognized the voice, but she couldn't see who the person was, due to all the stars that were appearing in her eyes. She caught a flash of blonde hair before she passed out.

~*~

          "Miss Granger, Miss Granger? Are you alright?" said a very anxious voice.

          Hermione's vision was foggy, and she could see a flesh colored… …thing (that she thought was supposed to be the person's hand) that was waving in front of her.

          "Wha-what happened?" she asked.

          "You hit Mr. Malfoy, my dear." Said another voice which she recognized to be Madam Pomfrey's.

          She sat up very quickly when she heard that.

          "I hit Malfoy?"

          "Yes you did my dear." said the first voice again.

          Her vision was getting less foggy in seconds and she saw who the beholder of the voice was. It belonged to Professor Crumpets!

          "Professor? May I ask you something?"

          "Yes dear?''

          "Who brought me here then?"

          "Oh it was Mr. Malfoy, bless the lad, he didn't appear to be hurt by your fall on him, so we--" she paused, looking at Madam Pomfrey, "—decided that it was okay to let him go."

          "But what about our lesson? Did I miss a lot?" she said, her voice filled with anxiety and worry.

          "Oh, never mind my dear, lessons are not important—compared to the students' health that is. And don't worry about your classmates; I gave them the lesson off. So you didn't miss anything." The professor replied.

          "Just one more question, Professor."

          "Fire away."

          "Why did you want to spend the lesson outside?" she asked, her face filled with curiosity.

          "Well, it was due to two students--" the professor stopped as the Hospital Wings' door suddenly banged open, revealing two red-faced, out-of-breath students, namely, Harry & Ron (who were waving and shouting "'Mione, 'Mione!" while running towards them) [A/N: let's just imagine that the wing is really big and that 'Mione's bed is near Pomfrey's table which is at the far end of it.]  "That I'm going to have to send to detention for giving me such a weird idea on how to spend the day--" "And for making one heck of noise here in the Hospital Wing." Madam Pomfrey finished for her.

          When Harry & Ron reached Hermione's bed, they immediately badgered her with questions.

          "Are you alright 'Mione?"

          "What happened?"

          "Has this something to do with that disgusting ferret?"

          "Hey, why didn't I think of that?" (That came from Ron)

          Professor Crumpets coughed loudly.

          "Oh, hi Professor! Tell us 'Mione--"

"Harry! Shush!" said Ron.

"Ron, don't you care about 'Mione?"

"Harry… …the professor… …"

Harry turned his head slowly towards Professor Crumpets.

          The professor glared at the two of them and said in an angry tone, 

"The two of you will be given detention for three reasons. #1, you two made such a loud noise, here, in the Hospital Wing, of all places, and disrupted the quietness of this place. (Madam Pomfrey nodded in agreement.) #2, you two did not show respect to the teacher, who was in front of you. #3, you two gave me that absolutely crazy idea, which resulted into this accident. I will inform you later on when your detention will be. Now get out of this wing, for as you can see, clearly, Miss Granger needs rest. Miss Granger--" she paused, turning to face Hermione, "I will also leave now, if you don't mind, for I still have a class with the fifth years. Good bye, and get well soon!" with that, the Professor, along with Harry and Ron, took their leave.

          Hermione leaned back on her pillow and sighed. 

          _This was going to be a long rest. Harry and Ron still have their next classes and—_

          "Holy Baked Bean! I was supposed to meet Professor Dumbledore! Oh pudding, pudding, pudding! [A/N: that was supposed to be s*it, but I can't type it because. My mom's behind me. ^-^]

          "You called, Miss Granger?"

          Hermione spun to her right and saw Professor Dumbledore, with his usual smile, and Malfoy half-hidden by the curtain that separated her bed from the other bed/s.

          "Professor! What are you doing here?"

          "We decided to do the conference here, after all, as Mr. Malfoy said, it would be much more of a convenience if we went here rather than you go to us."

          Hermione turned to look at Malfoy, whose face only revealed a blank expression, as of one that does not wish to reveal any. Expression or feeling, that is. 

          "So, Professor, what did you want to talk to us about?" she asked.

          "I just wanted to remind you two about the quickly upcoming Halloween Hop. I'm sure you two, with the help of the prefects, if you wish, can plan up another wonderful Hop. You have two weeks, in approximity, to plan and put your plan into action. And of course, after the Halloween Hop, comes the annual Yule Ball, which only you two, are allowed to work on. You must submit the plans for the Yule Ball at the end of November, no more, no less, to Professor McGonagall, she who will, in turn, forward your ideas to me." He replied.

          Malfoy gave hi a quick nod, to show, with no doubt that he understood.

          "You must remember that all your plans and works will have to be approved by the board of censors--" his eyes twinkled merrily "—namely me, Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Snape, Prof. Flitwick, Prof. Sinistra, Prof. Lupin, Prof. Crumpets, and so on and so forth. Better not make your ideas too outrageous, or they will be censored. Why I remember James and Lily's idea, Professors McGonagall and Snape promptly censored it after they had first seen it!--"

          Hermione leaned forward in anticipation. She had known, from Harry that his parents were Heads in their school years, but she knew nothing about their reign in Hogwarts.

          "—they had proposed that the teachers of each house have someone, in the faculty or not, to go with in the dance. And instead of the Prefects and the Heads lead the dance, the teachers of the four houses would! Professor Noddinghood, our old Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, and former head of the Ravenclaw House, asked Professor Sprout, then and there. So James and Lily asked Professor Snape to go with Professor McGonagall to go with each other, seeing that Professors Noddinghood and Sprout were going to go together, and they said that it was to show 'school spirit' and the 'unity' of the Houses. They had immediately turned down the idea, and James and Lily had to re-write and re-do their plans in an hour! But it all came out okay anyway, they had proposed for everyone to wear a mask that cannot be taken off until midnight. If I do remember clearly, Mr. Malfoy--"

          Malfoy snapped his head back up and looked at the Professor.

          "—your mother and Lily wore the same mask to fool everybody! They fooled everyone! Lily danced with Lucius and Narcissa danced with James! It was a pretty sight, when the masks fell off! Lucius swore like crazy and so did James! And you should have seen their faces! It wasn't a pretty sight!"

          Dumbledore began to chuckle.

          Hermione tried to hide her laughter. 

          Dumbledore's began to laugh.

          Malfoy suddenly laughed out loud, tears streaming down his face.

          Hermione was stunned. 

_Malfoys didn't laugh, right?_

          "What do you find amusing, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Dumbledore, with an amused look.

          "Gra-Gra-Granger's face!" he replied, shaking with laughter.

          "What is so amusing about my face, Ferret?"

          "Your face is all so red, a-and shaking a-and--" Malfoy stopped speaking, for he was shaking, again, with laughter.

          Dumbledore laughed out loud, probably, getting Malfoy's point.

          "That does present a funny picture, Draco."

          And the two of them resumed laughing.

          "Hmph! Boys." Hermione remarked scornfully.

          The two laughed even louder.

~*~

          Draco stood in front of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

          His collision with Granger had caused an old wound in his chest to open up again. And it hurt. A lot. Crumpets and Pomfrey wanted him to stay, but he had to meet Dumbledore, and besides, Malfoys did not cry. Lucius had taught him that. Men, especially Malfoys, did not cry or show weakness to anyone. It was one absolute, horrible sin.

          "Mexican Jumping Beans!" he said to the Gargoyle.

          The Gargoyle nodded and sprung aside to let him enter. Once inside, he found himself inside a circular corridor. 

          "Wait—there are no stairs!" he exclaimed.

          And so it was. The circular corridor was composed of stones—particularly the ones used to build the castle—and the floor. There was no ceiling, only an extending blackness upstairs. But there is one part of the room that he overlooked. The floor, if he had noticed it earlier, had a circular stone mark—it was a portal, but he didn't know it yet. 

          "What in salmon copper fillet* is this?" he questioned.

          [A/N: I got the 'salmon copper fillet' expression from ''The Dragon's Rose'' under Draco/Ginny category, so don't sue me! Read her/his story, by the way!]

          He traced the line of the circle and stepped back. The line had begun to glow, and after a second, a violet-black color filled the circle's inside. 

          "Holy wow! It's a portal! I should've known!" he said, while laughing.

          He took a step back and jumped in it. He had used many portals before—his father had not known, obviously, for he had forbidden them to use portals. He believed that portals were for wusses and weaklings—and knew that if any part of you touches it, you will be immediately sucked inside. And he also knew that if you only put one foot in, you had a 99.9% chance of hurting yourself. It was better to go there using your own two feet. He felt himself going two-dimensional*—for a minute—and went back to his original form, a second later, in front of Dumbledore's door. He knocked three times on the door.

          [A/N: It's pretty much the same as tesseracting, is my spelling of it correct?]

          "Come in, Mr. Malfoy." Came Dumbledore's voice.

          He opened the door and proceeded to one of the chairs that were in the circular room.

          "And where is Ms. Granger?" the professor inquired.

          "She is in the Hospital Wing, Professor. She had a… …minor accident a while ago."

          "Um hm… …"

          "Um, Professor, sir? Can we just have this meeting in the Wing? Because it would be more convenient and all, you know…………"

          "Yes. And I believe so too."

          "Um, Professor?"

          "Yes, Draco?"

          "Do we have to travel by portal again?"

          Dumbledore gave out a loud laugh.

          "No, we will travel via window."

          "Via window?"

          "Yes, watch."

          The Professor tapped the wall to his right three times. Draco watched in amazement as the wall magically turned into a window, big enough for the both of them to pass. In the window he could see Granger talking to Crumpets, then Potter and Weasley barging in, and then all of them going out. 

          "I think it is time, Mr. Malfoy."

          Draco nodded to the Professor.

          "Just walk through the window."

          He nodded again.

          "Understood?"

          He nodded again.

          "Okay…go first."

          He nodded again, but did not move.

          "Mr. Malfoy?"

          His head snapped up suddenly.

          "Ye-yes?"

          "Go in, now." The Professor told him, smiling.

          Draco tentatively took a step forward, and slowly walked through the window.

          It didn't hurt, and he didn't feel like he was being two dimensioned, it was just like passing thru………a door. Except for the fact that the frame of the door was glowing brightly. The light blinded him for a moment, but nothing bad happened to him. They ended up behind the curtain that separated Granger's bed from the other beds.

           After a few minutes, he heard Granger curse out: "…pudding, pudding, pudding!"

          "You called, Ms. Granger?" said the Professor.

          "Professor, what are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

          He tuned them out of his hearing. Sure, he was still hearing them, but he wasn't listening. Instead, he was observing Granger.

          They were talking about him, his subconscious mind told him. Granger suddenly looked at him, seeking his face for information, he guessed. But he was putting on his usual mask, The Malfoy mask which is devoid of all emotion. Or, in other words, blank. They held eye contact for a fraction of a second. But that was enough for him to notice the warm golden brown color of her eyes. Then she turned away.

          Dumbledore was saying something about the Ball…but he couldn't catch it. He was still mesmerized by the look in her eyes. So he just nodded.

          He continued to look at her, to notice how soft her skin was, how she leaned eagerly when she was interested at something, how her eyes were filled with—"…Mr. Malfoy,"

          He snapped his head up and nodded.

          Now Dumbledore was saying something about their parents. He watched as Granger tried to keep from laughing but was failing. Her face was turning all red-like and was swelling slightly. She reminded him of what Pansy looked like when Goyle accidentally spilled a swelling solution on her face. He couldn't help it any longer. He had to laugh or he was sure that he'd fart it all out. [A/N: Ya' know all those air trapped in you? And if ya' can't release it from the mouth, it comes out the other way!]

          He let out one loud burst of laughter that was quickly followed by other bursts, and tears that were streaming down his face.

          The Professor looked at him with amusement while Granger looked at him with stunned wonder. Most people would think that Malfoys didn't laugh. And she did too. He could read it using her aura. It was as clear as crystallized water.

          "What do you find so amusing, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

          "Gra-Gra-Granger's face!" he replied, shaking with laughter.

          "What is so amusing about my face, Ferret?" she questioned.

          "Your face is all so red, a—and shaking a—and--" he stopped speaking again, because he was shaking with laughter.

          Dumbledore started to laugh also, probably, finding Granger's face funny too.

          "Hmph. Boys." Granger said.

~*~

          Blaise Zabini sat in his chair, that was in his room, that was in the Prefect's Dorm, which was facing the fireplace.

          He thought about Cassandra Nott, the prettiest and most attractive girl he had ever seen.

          She kept on avoiding him, but he'd get her. Somehow. Someday. And he wouldn't stop. 'Till he had her. 'Till She would be his. 'Till the end of time.

          "Just wait for me Cassandra. Just wait." 

A/N: Ya' I know, pretty messy Chapter. Just email or R/R me (the latter, preferably) if there are any questions!

Disclaimer: … … … … … … … ?

Seiki: You are so unfair! First you get my notes, now you get my disclaimer! ::bawls::

S-w-m-n-b-n: Do you really want to get back your disclaimer?

Seiki: Yes!

S-w-m-n-b-n: Now be a good author and bark!

Seiki: Yip! Yip!

S-w-m-n-b-n: Roll Over!

Seiki: (rolls over and in the process pushes She-who… … out of the wide open door-like window in the process.)

S-w-m-n-b-n: AAAAAAUUUGGGHHH!

Seiki: And give me that! (Snatches her disclaimer back and looks at it)

          Holy baked macaroni {yum!}! I forgot to write my disclaimer! Oh well, this would do! (hastily scrawls something)

Brand New Hastily Scrawled Disclaimer: Sue She-who-must-not-be-named instead! 


End file.
